Qld premier threatens snap election as another MP leaves Labor

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has threatened a snap election — the third time Queenslanders would have to vote this year.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is shielded from the rain as she takes a phone call during an engagement at Point Danger on the Gold Coast, Tuesday, March 8, 2016. Palaszczuk says she is prepared to call an early election after government MP Rob Pyne quit her Labor party on Monday night following months of complaints about the party system. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt) NO ARCHIVING

QUEENSLAND, you could be heading back to the polls. Again.

Yesterday’s resignation of Cairns MP Rob Pyne from the Labor Party has thrown Annastacia Palaszczuk’s government into more turmoil, with the premier now threatening to hold an early election if her minority government’s job-creation legislation is blocked.

Mr Pyne’s move to the crossbench — the second such move by a Labor MP in a year — has left the government in the perilous position of having the same number of lower house seats as the opposition.

It’s also bolstered an ever-powerful crossbench alliance of north Queensland MPs who now hope to use their voting powers to campaign for the state’s “neglected” north.

And if an early State Election is called, it would be the third time Queenslanders will have to head to polling booths in 2016, with council elections to be held this month and the federal election due later this year.

WILL PALASZCZUK CALL IT?

Only one year into a three-year term, Ms Palaszczuk vowed to “absolutely” call a snap election if any MPs tried to stop her government passing job-creating legislation.

“When I put legislation through the Parliament that is about creating jobs, I say to all members in Parliament here today, I need your support,” she said on the Gold Coast yesterday.

Member for Cairns Rob Pyne spent his first day as an independent MP on Tuesday. Picture: Marc McCormack

“And if you don’t give me your support, I’ll get the support of the Queensland public.

“I am not ruling (an early election) out because I am making it very clear to Queenslanders I am here for them.

“I am here to govern for them in the best interests of them and I will not let anyone stand in my way.”

But state development minister Anthony Lynham has warned an early election was the last thing the state needed.

“The parliament just has to function like a parliament, we have to make sure that we have the crossbenchers on side,” he told ABC Radio this morning.

“I do not want an early election — I want jobs, I know the Premier wants jobs.

“Queenslanders need jobs, they don’t need an early election.”

However the premier has won the backing of communities minister Shannon Fentiman.

“I think Dr Lynham said he was focused on delivering jobs, we’re all focused on delivering for Queenslanders,” she said.

“The premier said yesterday if she can’t do what she was elected to do and deliver jobs for Queensland, then she will consider an early election.”

Jobs creation has been a focus for the Palaszczuk government, which hopes to support 27,000 jobs this financial year with its $10.1 billion capital works program.

There are also concerns by current and former Labor figures and business leaders that any failure by Ms Palaszczuk to spring into action would chip away at economic confidence, the Courier Mail reports.

Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg said the LNP was “government ready” but warned Ms Palaszczuk should be leading rather than ponder over possible elections.

“But she’s not going to call a snap election, she’s not going to go to the polls, we don’t need an early election,” Mr Springborg said.

“The Premier cannot just say she wants to run off to an early election because she can’t deal with the crossbenchers.

“We just need leadership from this Premier.”

Mr Springborg promised he would not take advantage of the situation by moving a vote of no confidence against the government.

However there could be more turmoil in store, with fears former police minister Jo-Ann Miller, who resigned from the Cabinet last year, could be next to desert the government, reports Fairfax.

Queensland’s most powerful trio — Robbie Katter, Shane Knuth and Billy Gordon — have just scored another ally. Picture: Andrea Falvo

IS NORTH QUEENSLAND THE BIG WINNER HERE?

As more cracks appear for the state government, a recently boosted crossbench alliance of north Queensland MPs have vowed to use their advantageous position for the good of their regions.

Mr Pyne, from Cairns, now joins Cooktown-based independent MP Billy Gordon — who was expelled from the ALP a year ago — and Katter’s Australia Party MPs Rob Katter and Shane Knuth, who hold seats in Mt Isa and Dalrymple, west of Cairns, on the backbench.

The trio of Mr Katter, Mr Knuth and Mr Gordon most recently showed their strength by demanding changes to the government’s lockout legislation before giving it the green light.

The government is also focusing on the support of independent speaker Peter Wellington.

Mr Pyne announced he was quitting the ALP on Monday night following months of speaking out against the party, and the lockout laws in particular.

He said he had grown tired of “political argy-bargy”.

“I come back to Cairns and I have a good bath in Dettol and try and clean myself from that process and try and focus on what’s important to the people of Cairns,” he told ABC Radio.

Mr Pyne said he’d be better able to represent his constituents from the crossbenches.

“I want to speak out for those people without fear or favour, not being second-guessed, muzzled or vetted by a political party,” he said.

Rob Katter says the four MPs would be silly not to join forces to get the best results for the “sadly neglected” regional and rural areas of north Queensland.

“It’s not a surprise to me that someone from the north (Mr Pyne) feels disenfranchised by the major parties because it’s a common affliction there in parliament in Brisbane,” he told AAP.

“The upshot of this is it’s good news for Queensland because we have a strengthened and invigorated crossbench.

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on the Gold Coast Mayor on Tuesday. Picture: David Clark

“For a rare point in our lifetimes we’ll have an opportunity for rural and regional areas of Queensland to have some influence and repair some neglect that’s been very detrimental to the wider economy for the last 25 years.”

Mr Katter said the Katter’s Australia Party’s sugar marketing bill, which passed parliament in December, was an example of how a crossbench could trigger action despite both major parties meandering on changes for years.

Political commentator Paul Williams from Griffith University said north Queensland would emerge as the big winner from Mr Pyne’s decision, and that the region had rightly felt ignored by the government in recent times.

He added Mr Pyne’s resignation could have been avoided with better management by the ALP.

“Pyne feels he’s fallen through the cracks, he feels north Queensland has fallen through the cracks,” Dr Williams said.

Responding to the premier’s threat of a snap election, Mr Katter said the northern MPs were more interested in developments that would deliver jobs and tax revenue.

He pointed to infrastructure that would open up the northwest mineral province.

“If she’s (the premier) consistent with what she said she won’t have a problem at all,” he said. “We don’t want walkways, footbridges or monorails. We want industry-enabling infrastructure that residents in Brisbane will be a lot bigger beneficiaries than us.

“This is good news for Queensland and the premier should embrace the opportunity with both arms. If not she should get out of the way and let someone else have a go.

“If not, the government has got a problem.”